The EFF has demanded that Ramaphosa relieve Nene of his duties with immediate effect.

Julius Malema has written a letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa calling on him to accept the offer made by Nhlanhla Nene to resign.

This is according to a recent statement issued by the Economic Freedom Fighters in which they maintain their assertion that Nene’s “continued stay as minister of finance is not in the best interest of South Africa.”

The party went on to add that “Treasury cannot be presided over by a person without integrity. Nene has lied on numerous occasions about his role in cabinet and government. He has also facilitated the state capture of the state by the criminal Gupta syndicate.”

They demanded that Ramaphosa relieve Nene of his duties with immediate effect.

This is because the EFF believes that “one of the ingredients towards economic recovery is a credible minister of finance” and that public servants will feel no responsibility to manage state finances responsibly if Nene remains.

They would also like to see the medium-term budget policy statement delivered by a different minister.

Malema’s letter went on to remind Ramaphosa of the warning they issued against Nene, whom they described as someone “not worthy of any position of trust because he is a scheming liar who hunts with the hounds and runs with the hares”.

According to the Free Dictionary, that phrase is an idiom used to refer to someone who acts duplicitously or hypocritically, as well as someone who speaks or acts out against something while engaging or taking part in it.

This is the latest in an ongoing crusade against Nene by the EFF, which has thus far seen the party scolding the media for “ignoring Nene’s lies,” rejecting Nene’s apology for his memory lapse and non-disclosure and threatening to “take to the streets” to ensure Nene’s removal from his position as finance minister.